Scripture
Luke 9:23-25
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
2 Timothy 2:2
The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
Reflection
A disciple is one who is increasingly submitting all of life to the lordship of Christ. Jesus said that all alternatives are basically attempts to save ourselves, but true life is found only in following Him. Moreover, true discipleship involves disciple making, which is the chief purpose Jesus gave us in His final address. The measure of the Christian life, then, is not a list of individual benefits, but a transforming call to follow Jesus and adopt His purpose for life.
Prayer
Pray for yourself.
Pray in thanksgiving for God’s grace to redeem you and call you to Himself in love. In light of that truth, pray for a whole-life devotion to Jesus. Confess to God the area(s) of your life where you have neglected following and obeying Jesus.
Pray for the next generation.
Pray for the discipleship of your family, and ask God to give you an integral role in shaping the next generation for His sake. Beyond your family, pray also in the spirit of 2 Timothy 2:2, that God would use you to multiply your faith in others. Pray with hopeful expectation that your influence will reach to generations of people long after you are gone!
Pray for a discipleship movement.
Pray that churches and Christians would see the Great Commission of Matthew 28 as our purpose for life. Everyone is being “discipled” into some way of life, so pray that we would see an increasing commitment to the way of Jesus take root in our communities.
